Mortal Kombat 1 unveiled the next chapter of the franchise, but kept arguably the most important hook of the story a secret. Players have already been reintroduced to several of the series' most iconic characters, with their path in the new game still yet to be laid out. Yet with all of the characters confirmed to appear, a few key facts are still unconfirmed, and players may have to wait until the game's release to learn the answer. Nevertheless, there remains one important question whose answer the story of Mortal Kombat 1 may depend on.
The trailer made it clear that Mortal Kombat 1 is in a new timeline compared to past games. After the events of Mortal Kombat 11, Fire God Liu Kang remade the timeline with the intent of creating one that thrives on peace rather than war. In the trailer, it seemed that this plan had been achieved. There were even shots of longtime rivals like Kitana and Mileena acting civilly in each other's presence. However, before the end, the cast is shown once again falling to violence. Obviously, this raises the question of which villain could be responsible for the chaos befalling the new timeline.
Mortal Kombat 1's True Villain May be Its Biggest Mystery So Far
The most obvious culprit is Shang Tsung. Although Shang Tsung is a pre-order bonus for Mortal Kombat 1 rather than a regular roster member, it's difficult not to suspect him. Not only was he the series' first villain, but he has continued to be the height of villainy and ambition in all of his appearances. Even though Liu Kang appeared to erase him from existence in the last game's climax, Shang Tsung still gets a prominent appearance in Mortal Kombat 1's reveal trailer, showing that he's still around. As long as the Mortal Kombat universe is around, Shang Tsung will always be up to no good.
The second character to suspect is Mortal Kombat 11's villain, Kronika. Although Kronika wasn't playable in Mortal Kombat 11, she wielded a terrifying amount of power, and made her mark as a villain in her debut appearance. If she's still around in Mortal Kombat 1, then she would be a strong candidate for a villainous role. Not only is she a goddess, putting her on Liu Kang's power level, but as a time goddess, she may have knowledge of her defeat in another timeline, giving her a reason to desire revenge by bringing Liu Kang's new timeline to ruin.
There is one more candidate for Mortal Kombat 1's villain, and that is Liu Kang himself. Considering that in the canonical ending of Mortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang was the one who made the new timeline in the first place, that idea seems odd at first glance. However, Liu Kang has been a villain before, albeit briefly, so it's possible for him to go rogue again.The power itself may corrupt him, or after discovering that he couldn't rule injustice out of existence, he went on a rampage. Either way, if Liu Kang is the villain, he has the potential to be a terrifying foe.
Mortal Kombat 1's story has yet to be told, but its biggest question is still hanging in the balance. With the story taking a trip back to Mortal Kombat's beginnings, a lot of characters technically have not had their stories written yet. It could be too early to tell who the heroes and villains of this new timeline will be for that reason. However, the role of the big villain is certain to be filled before the game's end. The true threat of Mortal Kombat 1 is still under wraps, and their identity is sure to have a major impact on the series.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on September 19, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
